Method of making shoes



Jan. 8,1924. I 1,479,899

0. E. DE RIDDER METHOD OF MAKING SHOES File Jan- 20, 1 2 Sheets-Sheet w A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 8, 1924 o. E. DE RIDDER METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Fi led Jan. 20, 1923 2- Sheets-Sheet 2' fia's A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STTES OLIVER E. DE RIDDER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

Appjication'filed January 20, 1923. Serial No. 613,995.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER E. DE BIDDER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Shoes, of Which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of making shoes and'more particularly to the type in which the inner sole of the shoe is moist'ened'and molded by pressure while moistened to a desired shape, the upper thereafter being stitched to the inner sole and the other operations of the shoe being completed. An object of this invention is to provide for utilizing the last on which the shoe is made as one of the mold elements, making it unnecessary to handle the inner sole free from the last after the molding operation. Still another object of the invention is to make one of the mold elements of yielding material so that during the molding operation. the outline of the inner sole is not distorted.

Other and further objects will appear in the following description and will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a last with an inner sole attached thereto before the molding operation;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the last with the inner sole attached thereon and cooperating with the yielding mold element which is shown in section and under compression;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; Fi 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 9;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a shoe before the outer sole is applied;

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the outer sole applied; I

Fig, 7 is a side view of a completed shoe constructed in accordance with this invention, the bottom being flat as in an ordinary shoe;

Fig. 8 1s a view of the upper side of the inner sole after the latter has been molded; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the yielding mold.

In carrying out this invention, the last 1 is shaped on its under side in any suitable manner being preferably provided with two projections 2 and 3, with a depression 4 between them, thus simulating in effect the under side of the foot atthe metatarsal arch. The heel may also be provided with a convex portion 5 simulating thedieel of the foot, while the arch portion 6 is formed to simulate the arch of the foot.

An inner sole preferably the well-known solid leather inner sole is provided which around its sides and toe portion is reduced at 7 to provide the usual shoulder 8 and is cut parallel with said shoulder by a kerf 9. Before the molding operation this completed inner sole is moistened, preferably thoroughly wet, so that it becomes adapted to a molding process. While in the moistened condition, it is tacked to the last in the usual manner as illustrated in Fig. 1, covering the bottom of the last in a loose condition. While still moist and on the last it is subjected to the molding operation. This is effooted preferably through a molding element which is formed of a yielding material so that such element will readily adapt itself to the contour of the last and cause the inner sole to become shaped to the under side of the last, and thereby provide a shape on its upper side to fit the contour of the bottom of the foot.

In this instance, the yielding molding element illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 9 embodies a block 10 of rubber which has a depress ion 11 conforming substantially to the forep'art of the last and the forepart of the arch, this depression having a projection 12,

so situated that it will enter between the two projections on the bottom of the last or upper mold member,,thus insuring that the inner sole willconform to the metatarsal arch of the foot. A relative movement takes place between the two mold members and causes the last or upper member 1 to become embedded in the lower member 11 thus producing pressure throughout the entire inner sole and making the latter adapt itself to the contour of the under side of the last.

} While the inner sole is still in a Wet condition, the mold members are separated and the inner sole is permitted to dry upon the last in the shape in which it has been molded. After the inner sole has become set, the upper is then attached and lasted in the usual way. After the lasting operation and preferably before the inner sole has become completely dry, the lip formed between the shoulder 8 and the kerf 9 is raised and then the upper 13 is stitched as at 14: in the usual manner to the lip withthe welt 15. Later afiller 16 is placed on the bottom of the inner sole to fill all the irregularities therein, so that a fiat bottom is secured for the outer sole 17 which is stitched to the welt in the usual manner at 18. This filler prevents the outer sole from conforming to the inner sole and also the outer sole from breaking down under the weight of the user of the shoe. The shoe is then completed in the usual manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention makes it possible to use the usual leather inner sole which is complete in all respects before the molding operation. This inner sole is secured directly to the last in the first instance and in this Way utilizes the last as one of the mold elements. This saves a great deal of time as the inner sole 3 does not require handling and at the same time it reduces a number of the operations and does not allow the formed inner sole to lose its shape while drying. Furthermore the inner sole accurately conforms to the last, there being no possibility of the upper surface of the inner sole not conforming to the bottom surface of the last or the indentations on the inner sole being wrongly placed. The yielding mold revents a crushing action on the inner sole while in a moistened condition and particularly on the edges thereof which would tend to squeeze the inner sole out beyond its normal outline and provide adistorted edge, as a shoe, to be a curately made, must have its inner sole conform exactly to the bottom of the last and the shoulder maintain its line perfectly.

na're eee What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A. method of making shoes which consists in providing a complete inner sole with a shoulder and a kerf, moistening said inner sole, attaching the inner sole to a last, applying pressure to the inner sole, while in. a moistened condition to cause the inner sole to conform to the bottom of the last, permitting the inner sole to dry on the last, so that the shape of the inner sole is maintained during the drying process, stitching the upper to the lip formed between the shoulder and the kerf, and then completing the other operations of making the shoe.

2. A method of makingshoes which consists in providing a last with an inner sole in a moistened condition attached to the bottom thereof, applying pressure through a member of yieldingmaterial to such inner sole to cause the inner sole to conform to the under side of the last, stitching the upper to the inner sole, and then completing the other operations of making the shoe.

3. A method of making shoes which consists in providing a complete inner sole with a shoulder and a kert, attaching such inner sole in a moist condition to a last suitably shaped on its under side, applying pressure to the inner sole by a member of yielding material which causes the inner sole to conform to the bottom of the last without distortion, stitchingthe upper to the lip formed between, the kert and the shoulder, and then completing the other operations of making the shoe.

ULIVER DE BIDDER. 

